Sunday, May 3, 2015

Hiking through the layers of time... Yakusugi forest.

Satchi and I took another bus ride to head to the mountain. As beautiful as the beaches and rivers on the island..., the magic also happens in the mountain here. Through the hike we saw cedar trees that have been standing there over 3000 years... I talked to Satchi about how each tree has its own spirit just like we have our own soul and how much we respect each tree. I also shared the story of me hiking through this forest when I was her age with my parents and my grandfather. The forest has not changed over last 30 years. I realize that 30 years is really nothing in scale for this forest that has been existing thousands of years.

This was the first time Satchi really hiked through a hiking trail and she told me afterward that throughly enjoyed it. She especially loved looking at the map and seeing where she was on the trail. It was not an easy hike since some part of the trail feels like we are really walking "on" the forest. Between trees and around rocks. I am proud of her finishing the long hike with so much enthusiasm even though we started to get rain towards the end of the hike. Most importantly... I am thankful that I was able to share this forest that is so close to my heart with her. I can't wait to bring Coco there once she is little bit bigger:)